From Zoji La to Pangong — route, packages, permits, altitude and seasons. Everything in one place, from the people who drive this highway every season. This is our master Ladakh guide.
Zoji La is closed the rest of the year. This isn’t in your hands — pick your dates around it first.
~420 km, with a Kargil overnight. Pushing through in one day is an altitude risk.
Leh is ~11,500 ft. Don’t rush to Pangong on arrival. One rest day saves the whole trip.
An ILP for Indians, a PAP for foreigners, for Pangong and Nubra. Issued in Leh.
The highway leg is our van; inner circuits use a Leh-registered vehicle under union rules — details below.
Ladakh has local taxi union rules. In practice: the Srinagar–Kargil–Leh highway leg we run with our own Force Urbania or Tempo Traveller — the whole group together, one driver throughout. But for the circuits inside Ladakh (Pangong, Nubra, Khardung La, local sightseeing), a Leh-registered vehicle is generally required, and we coordinate one through our local network.
We say this upfront, because many operators don’t and travellers only discover it in Leh. We plan your whole trip either way — we just keep the mechanics honest. Regd. JKEA00003597.
~420 km, 2 days, the full highway
Day 1 — Zoji La, Drass, War Memorial
First stop, gateway to Ladakh
Kargil + Leh + Pangong
Adds Nubra & Khardung La
Built around your group
When it opens, what it’s like
ILP + AMS — essential reading
Month by month
| Leg | Distance | Drive | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Srinagar → Kargil | ~200 km | 7–8 hrs | Sonamarg, Zoji La (~11,575 ft), Drass, Kargil War Memorial |
| Kargil → Leh | ~220 km | 7–8 hrs | Mulbekh, Fotu La, Lamayuru moonland, Magnetic Hill, Sangam |
| Leh (rest day) | Local | Short | Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Thiksey — acclimatization |
| Leh → Pangong | ~220 km | ~5 hrs | Chang La (~17,590 ft), Pangong Tso (~14,270 ft) |
| Leh → Nubra | ~120 km | 5–6 hrs | Khardung La (~17,582 ft), Diskit, Hunder dunes, camels |
Force Urbania 13/17 — recliner seats make a real difference across 7–8 hours. Or a Tempo Traveller 12/17 for budget. The whole group together.
Pangong, Nubra, Khardung La and Leh local sightseeing generally require a Leh-registered vehicle. We coordinate it, so you don’t have to go hunting for one on arrival.
We can’t publish a fixed per-day rate for Ladakh, and operators who do usually aren’t telling you the whole story. The cost genuinely depends on how many days, which route (Pangong/Nubra), the vehicle mix (highway van plus inner vehicle), and stays.
So we send a custom all-inclusive quote instead, spelling out the highway leg, inner circuit coordination and permit guidance. No surprises.
Rates inside Kashmir are fixed — see our cost guide. Ladakh is a different matter, so we treat it differently.
The highway leg in our vans, inner circuits through our local network — a complete plan, honest mechanics, a fixed quote.